CHOLESTEROL

📋 Quick facts

Description: CHOLESTEROL — barrier repair lipid, works alongside ceramides and fatty acids.

All Functions: barrier repair lipid, works alongside ceramides and fatty acids

Quick Facts:

• Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Cholesterol is a natural component of cell membranes in all living organisms
• Your body regulates cholesterol transport under normal conditions
• Cholesterol emboli are a rare medical condition involving blockages in small blood vessels—different from heart attack risk
• High dietary cholesterol can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels in some people, but genetics play a major role in how your body responds

⚗️ Chemical Overview

epicholestrol has been reported in Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Glycine max, and other organisms with data available. cholest-5-en-3-ol has been reported in Caenorhabditis elegans with data available. See also: Cholesterol (annotation moved to); Epicholesterol (annotation moved to).

Source(s): LOTUS – the natural products occurrence database, PubChem, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Cholesterol plays several important roles in your body, though the research available here focuses mainly on medical conditions rather than skincare benefits. #1: Cholesterol is a structural component that appears in large amounts (20-40 mol%) in cell membranes of all organisms except bacteria (Lipids, 2004). It has a unique ability to control how organized and fluid membranes are, helping them maintain their shape and function while still allowing molecules to move across them. #2: Under normal circumstances, your body carefully regulates how cholesterol moves through your bloodstream and tissues (Physiol Rev, 1983). However, if this transport system becomes overloaded for a long time—often from consuming too much dietary fat and cholesterol—your blood cholesterol levels can rise, particularly LDL cholesterol.

Interestingly, genetics strongly influence whether this happens; some people develop high cholesterol easily on a Western diet while others don’t, even after decades of similar eating habits (Physiol Rev, 1983). When cholesterol does accumulate abnormally, it tends to deposit in tissues that have poor blood and lymph supply, including the skin, tendons, and cornea (Physiol Rev, 1983). The sources provided do not contain information supporting cholesterol as a skincare ingredient with cosmetic benefits. The remaining research describes cholesterol embolism syndrome, a rare medical condition where cholesterol crystals break away from arterial plaques and block small blood vessels, causing organ damage (Curr Opin Cardiol, 2011; Physiol Rev, 1983), and discusses oxidized forms of cholesterol and potential cancer associations (J Clin Lab Anal, 1991)—none of which relate to topical skincare applications.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Shah N et al. (2026). Cholesterol Emboli. a peer-reviewed journal.
• Norum KR et al. (1983). Transport of cholesterol. Physiol Rev.
• Saric M et al. (2011). Cholesterol embolization syndrome. Curr Opin Cardiol.
• Morin RJ et al. (1991). Cholesterol oxides and carcinogenesis. J Clin Lab Anal.
• Mouritsen OG et al. (2004). What’s so special about cholesterol?. Lipids.

🧴 Products Containing CHOLESTEROL

• L’Oréal,Cerave Foaming cleanser
• Blistex Blistex Lippenpflege Lip Infusions Hydration
• Sun Ozon Sunclean Sonnenmilch LSF 30
• Idraet Pro Reti-C Retinol & Vitamin C
• up & up lotion
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• Unilever, Pond’s Bio-Hydratante
• Unifarmaco SpA Ceramol crema palpebrale
• Ceramol, Unifarmaco Spa Ceramol gel viso
• CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
• Locion Corporal NANOS
• Indulona Indulona original
• Bioderma Atoderm intensive
• Vitanove Après-shampooing Oléo-Nutrition
• Ceramol, Unifarco Biomedical Ceramol crema base
• Eucerin Daily Hydration Lotion
• Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream
• Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream
• CeraVe CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
• cerave
• revlon nude fury
• Major Minerin Crème
• e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser
• CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Dr Teal’s Body Lotion
• Kate Somerville DeliKate Soothing Cleanser
• Dermasil Labs Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Lotion
• Darphin Fluide Peau Mate Matifiant Darphin (50ML)
• CeraVe CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam
• CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
• Gold Bond Ultimate Eczema Relief Skin Protectant Cream
• Cosmia Sérum intense anti rides
• Cosmia Cosmia crème de jour anti rides au collageneer®
• Cosmia Soin contour des yeux anti rides au Collageneer
• Cosmia Crème hydratante sensitive
• Cosmia Cosmia – crème de nuit – 40 + anti rides au collageneer® – tous types de peaux – 50ml
• Cosmia Crème anti-âge jour et nuit 4 en 1
• CeraVe Verbeterende Oogcrème
• Cerave Gel Moussant Cerave